2.Online interaction with MUC
An online exchange event with MUC was held for five days from September 29, 2021 to October 3, 2021. On the Japanese side, not only his NEXT but also his I.I.R. volunteer members participated, while from the MUC side, his 22 members selected from among 120 applicants participated.
On the first day of the exchange, the opening ceremony was held. From the Indian side, Mr. Singh and Mr. Shivadas gave greetings, and from the Japanese side, Mr. Hasegawa, one of the cooperators, gave greetings. After the opening ceremony, presentations were made by 22 MUC students. The theme was about what each of the MUC students thinks about their Indian fascination. (Examples of themes: historical land and buildings in South India, classical music in North India) Some presentations were accompanied by demonstrations in addition to the use of materials.
On the second day, like his first day, presentations from the Indian side were the main contents of the exchange. The theme of the day was the attractiveness of Manipur state that each person thought, and there were presentations from various perspectives such as culture, religion, and language. (Examples of themes: “Pena,” a musical instrument native to Manipur, and “Sajib Cheiraoba,” a New Year festival in Manipur)
For three days from the 3rd to the 5th day, the Japanese side organized a project. On the third day, the Japanese side first introduced NEXT and I.I.R. After that, we introduced two projects. The first project is the “home time project”. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and spending more time at home, each group discussed how students from both countries are spending their time. In addition, we introduced Japanese curry and food culture in a quiz format from the perspective of curry, which is familiar to Indian students. The second project was “online travel planning”. Based on the concept of a “pseudo-experience of traveling around Japan,” the online experience of sharing time and memories that would otherwise be available in a real trip was provided. Taking advantage of the characteristics of the online world, which has no time or physical restrictions, he traveled to areas we would not normally be able to visit. Specifically, eight tourist destinations in Japan (Shibuya and Harajuku, Fukushima, Otaru, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Osaka, Kyoto, Asakusa) were introduced in the video. In addition, by answering quizzes on each land in a team competition consisting of students from both countries, we created an opportunity to deepen exchanges between Japanese and Indian students.
On the fourth day, presentations were made by the Japanese side. Each member introduced the cultural attractions of Japan, and some of the presentations were demonstrated. (Examples of themes: traditional Japanese costumes, introduction of Japanese subculture manga "Naruto") In addition, with the cooperation of NEXT member Yamamoto's mother, a live performance of traditional Japanese music "Koto" was held. In addition, with the cooperation of the Keio University official organization “Tsugaru Shamisen Genon Tomoe”, we were able to present a live Tsugaru Shamisen performance to the Indian audience, which was a great success.
On the final day, students from both countries had discussions. Members from both countries with different backgrounds exchanged opinions on themes such as "Do you agree or disagree with unifying the language and communicating only in English?" It was an opportunity to broaden each other's horizons. And finally, the closing ceremony was held. All the Japanese and Indian members who participated gave their impressions, and with speeches from NEXT 3rd generation Kurosaki and his Mr. Singh, we ended the five days of fulfilling exchange events.
Our 5-day exchange was reported on television news and newspapers in Manipur, and we were able to realize its great success. With this five-day event, the 2nd gen retired and the 3rd gen started.